Pima Community College Unveils Plan To Get Off Probation

By Steve Shadley
Published: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 - 2:47pm
Updated: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 - 2:50pm
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(Courtesy of Pima Community College)
The course catalog cover for Pima Community College Summer 2014.

Pima Community College has released a draft plan it hopes will get it off of probation. The self-study involved the work of hundreds of Pima employees and people outside the Tucson college system.

Last year, the Higher Learning Commission of Chicago put Pima College on probation after it identified a series of problems involving the district’s governing board and management.

Some of the areas that need improvement include human resources, sexual harassment training, record keeping and how the college enrolls veterans. 

Probation status may mean students will have a harder time getting financial aid or transferring credits.

Critics said the plan won’t do enough to turn the district around, but college spokesman C.J. Karamargin said this is only the first step before a final report is finished this summer.

"This is a work in progress.  This is a draft, and we are going to be working hard between now and July to fill the gaps that we know exist in the report” Karamargin said.

He said an accreditation team will visit Pima College in September to assess whether the district is ready to be taken off probation. That could happen next year.